smith



(No Model.)

L; M. GULVBR &'W. F. SMITH.

ENVELOPE HOLDER.

No. 381677. Patented. Apr. 24, 1888.

WITJV 1 ES.

BS8 1.7V VEJV T0 RS UNITED STATES PATENr @rrrcn.

LUOIAN M. CULVER AND WILLIAM F. SMITH, OF KIOVV'A, KANSAS.

ENVELOPE=HOLDER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,677, dated April 2 1889.

Application filed September 2, 1887. Serial No. 248,572. (No model.)

To a-ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LUOIAN M. OULVER and WILLIAM F. SMITH, citizens of the United States, residing at Kiowa, in the county of Ban her and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope-Holders; and we do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for holding envelopes, cards, tickets, or the like in a convenient manner for use, and a device which will exclude dust and dirt from the contained articles, the same being adapted to be hung on a wall or desk, as will be hereinafter fully explained,

The invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure l is a face view of my improved device, showing the cover raised in a position to receive envelopes. 2 is a vertical soctional view of the same taken on the line 00 :0 of Fig 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the linesg 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring by letter to the annexed drawings, A indicates the holder, which is shown of a rectangular contour. This holder is made of sheet metal, although it may be made of other suitable material. Sheet metal,however, is preferred, owing to its lightness and cheapness. The rear wall of this holder is provided near its upper edge with a suitable number of apertures, (1, whereby the same may be suspended from nails or other devices in a wall or desk.

B indicates a cover which is hinged to the rear wall, I), and is designed to close the top after the envelopes or cards have been placed therein. This wall I) is vertical for the greater portion of its length and has its lower terminal directed forwardly oblique, as indicated at 0, there being an interspace, E, left between the forward edge of the oblique bottom 0 and the front wall of the holder, so as to allow the envelopes to be withdrawn, as will be presently explained.

In the present illustration of our invention we have shown two flat spring-strips, F, secured at one end to the under side of the oblique floor and their opposite or free ends ex"- tended to the lower edge of the front wall, so

that they may bear upwardly against the under side of the envelopes in the holder, and are allowed to yield downwardly when an envelope is being withdrawn. We do not, however, wish to confine ourselves to this manner of construction, as the said bottom may be place the thumb in the recess G, where a portion of the article is exposed, and-the first and second finger beneath the front wall and into the interspace B, when an envelope may be grasped and conveniently withdrawn, the springstrips yielding to permit such withdrawal and acting upon the remaining ones to hold them in place in the box or container.

The construction above described, as before mentioned, is designed to be suspended from suitable supports in a wall or the like; but when itis desirable to place the holder upon a desk or table short legs or stands should be used, so as to raise the same a sufficient distance for the introduction of the hand or fingers beneath.

Having described this invention, what we claim is- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, an envelopeholder consisting of a receptacle having a hinged cover, its front wall having a thumb-recess in its lower edge, the inclined floor having an interspace between its lower edge and the front wall of the receptacle, and the said bottom also having spring-strips with their free ends extending to the said front wall, substantially as specified 2.. A holder for envelopes and the like having its bottom inclined and provided with spring-strips extending to the front wall of the said holder, the said front wall notched, as described, so as to permit the contained articles to be withdrawn, substantially as specitied.

In testimony whereof we affix: our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

' LUOIAN M. GULVER.

\VILLIAM F. SMITHE, Witnesses:

J onn M. LUKE-as, R. MoALLIsrEn. 

